eyes of a boy, lips of a man [Paperback]

Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2001

Published in 1999, "Eye of a Boy, Lips of a Man" is the collection for "Flipped Eye".

Editorial Reviews

Review

In an inspirational and provocative manner, Nii selects words that reveal the rustic nature of our own thoughts. -- Pa John Dadson - Arts Editor, "Accra Mail"

Nii Parkes is a talent to watch. His writing is by turns sharp, reflective, evocative, and transfixing. -- Peter Kalu - author of "Black Star Rising"

About the Author

A native of Ghana, Nii Ayikwei Parkes is active as a performance poet and runs several workshops. He is widely published and has contributed to several magazines including Wasafiri, Dreamcatcher, Poetry News and X magazine, which he edits. His second collection of poetry M is for Madrigal was published in 2004 by the tall-lighthouse press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: Flipped Eye Publishing Limited; 2nd edition (April 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9988002467
• ISBN-13: 978-9988002466
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,581,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nii Ayikwei Parkes is a Ghanaian writer and Senior Editor at flipped eye publishing. A 2007 recipient of Ghana's national ACRAG award for poetry and literary advocacy, he is a former International Writing Fellow at the University of Southampton and writer-in-residence at California State University, Los Angeles. In 2009, his short story, 'Socks Ball', was highly commended in the Caine Prize for African Writing, and his novel 'Tail of the Blue Bird' (due for release in the US in winter 2010) was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Nii Ayikwei writes for children under the name K.P. Kojo and spends most of his time in Ghana and the United Kingdom with regular visits to the United States for readings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a master of beginnings, May 21, 2001

By 

Sharon (Battersea, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (Paperback)

I saw this guy perform at the Bug Bar in London. His first words were, "It was a love inspired by her motion like his mother's..." I had to buy the book!

I have no regrets. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that this book was written by a man (no offense intended) because it's so raw. The imagery is deep and very powerful. The emotion is real, and I love his first lines! "The Bite" (p7) starts with; "the first caress was under water", "Sakumono Magic" (p5) uses a simple but effective image to draw you in: "a silver morning sky is the reflection that hums around his thighs." In my current favorite poem, "Rendezvous with Death", Nii makes death seem a less threatening thing. He welcomes it on one condition: that it comes with flowers so his "bed wouldn't stink"!

My only complaint is that it's too short, and one of the poems reads backwards. I can't wait for his next collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ..and who said modern poetry was heading for the grave?, July 3, 2002

By 

James Byrne (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (Paperback)

As a friend of the author, these opinions cannot help but be slightly biased, although there are overiding facts that cannot be overstated. Firstly, Nii Parkes is an exciting poet with a unique voice. He has the ability to captivate on the page, equally as well as I have seen him do behind the microphone.
He has, what I believe to be the most essential tool of any poet, which is the ability to throttle the reader in just one line. And yet, his work is often tender, beautiful, poignant and sorrowing. In this collection it is hard to know what is coming next, which shows that Nii Parkes has a depth and resonance to his work that surprises and enriches the mind of any reader.

4.0 out of 5 stars a man child comes of age, June 29, 2002

By 

Nana Oware (Accra GHANA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (Paperback)

I'm still trying to understand what modern poetry is, because of the freedom that expressions such as 'free verse' give to anybody at all to say what's on their mind without giving a hoot as to how they say it (i.e., form).

But this book touches. It moves.

Nii has the expressions to impress and the feelings to move you. The bit about hearing the death of a father and what happens afterwards is so insightfully written and just beautiful.

A short collection that resonates in the mind hours after reading.